1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed towards an improved cargo seal which is structured to be utilized on a cargo container in order to maintain the cargo container's doors securely locked in a closed orientation, and which is further structured such that the door cannot be opened without destructively removing the primary cargo seal which corresponds and identifies the shipment and/or without providing clear evidence of tampering upon inspection of the primary cargo seal, thereby substantially protecting the contents of the cargo container, while also substantially identifying when tampering has occurred.
2. Description of the Related Art
Large, cargo containers, such as those that are detachable or are formed as part of trailers are the most commonly used means of transporting large volumes of many varying cargos from location to location around the world. A primary advantage to their use is that the large containers can store large quantities of goods and can be effectively transported on boats, trains, and/or trucks in order to expeditiously arrive at their eventual destination. The detachability and adaptability of containers is of particular importance because the containers will often change hands from one carrier to another carrier, such as from a train to a truck or from a trucking company to a steamship line, during the various legs of a transport route.
Naturally, due to the great volume and often valuable nature of the cargos being transported in the large containers, security is an important consideration when dealing with cargo transportation. Unfortunately, however, one of the most prevalent security concerns, in addition to the third party hijackers or thieves who do not generally care if they leave signs of a break in, involves internal, not obviously detectable theft. For example, it is sometimes an all too common occurrence that during transit, an individual placed in custody of the container, such as a truck driver in charge of transporting the cargo from point to point, is behind a robbery. Such an individual is naturally very familiar with the nature of the cargo on board, and can easily arrange for a safe rendezvous for the removal of all or part of the cargo contained within the large container. Unlikely as it may seem, in these instances, it is often the security measures and/or locks which are normally employed that serve as the biggest allies to the thieves.
A conventional, single-use, single end seal is the common article used to secure the door handle/latch in a door closing orientation. Moreover, this is the primary seal, and more likely the only seal that is looked at by shipping personnel assigned to verify the integrity of a shipment during transit. Unfortunately, thieves have still found ways to unlatch the doors without actually breaking the seal. Specifically, the joint between the actuation handle and the lock rod on most conventional containers generally incorporates a single bolt or rivet securing both elements with one another. As a result, a thief can merely cut or drill out and remove that bolt or rivet to permit the independent turning of the lock rod while the actuation handle remains in place, thereby opening the container without having to move the actuation handle or break the seal. Once the cargo has been removed and the door is re-closed, a replacement bolt is merely inserted to connect the actuation handle with the lock rod, and can be painted over if necessary to preserve the original appearance. As a result, the conventional type identifying seal has never been removed and no evidence of tampering is available as the cargo changes hands from one carrier to another. Accordingly, when the specific carrier involved in the theft arrives at a next leg of the transport, the container looks normal and intact, and the responsibility is passed on to the next transport carrier. Naturally, when the theft is ultimately discovered, blame passes from carrier to carrier with no concrete resolution as to the true thieves or the actual stage of transport during which the theft occurred. Moreover, as no positive blame can be put on any particular carrier, it is often the owner of the cargo who must take the loss and must fight their insurance company for some recovery.
Despite the numerous techniques thieves have found to defeat existing systems, and because of the high volume of cargo being transported on a daily basis, and the cost of more extensive security measures, most carriers still utilize the above-described securing methods to seal the cargo doors. Such carriers accept a certain percentage of losses to theft as an expense of doing business given the lack of a viable alternative. Accordingly, it would be highly beneficial to provide a cargo container seal and door lock which can defeat or at least significantly hinder the "inside job" theft in a cost effective and easy to implement fashion. Such an improved seal should be structured so as to resist opening of the doors without its removal, and should be difficult to replace without providing substantially clear and noticeable evidence of tampering, thereby allowing the identification of a theft by a transport company when they take on the cargo.
For these reasons, some carriers have turned to utilizing single use locking brackets which employ common single use, single end seals which bear a particular, recorded serial number thereon, if added security is desired. Accordingly, when the cargo container changes hands from one carrier to another both the bracket seal and the primary seal are supposed to be inspected and the numerals on the both seals are recorded to ensure that they match the shipping records. Still, however, while such techniques are more effective than the security measures which had previously been available, clever thieves have quickly found ways around those procedures as well.
Specifically, because a thief that performs such an "inside job" is typically associated with the normal shipping procedures, they are typically aware that in most circumstances, transfer of custody between shippers is only accompanied by an inspection of the primary cargo seal at the door latch, and a comparison of its identification number with the one depicted on the shipping manifest. Indeed, a numbered seal is often not used with a door bracket structure, and in any event, the identification number on the bracket seal is rarely recorded, let alone inspected. Accordingly, a thief is typically able to merely cut off the bracket, removing it completely from the container and discarding the bracket seal. In particular, because a subsequent shipping agent is not aware of the condition in which a prior shipping agent received a cargo container, unless something is clearly reflected on the manifest, the lack of the bracket is not usually recognized. This is especially the case if the primary cargo seal identification number is correct as a vast majority of shipments still arrive without any secondary sealing.
As such, it would be beneficial to provide an improved cargo seal that is structured to require the actual removal or tampering with the primary cargo seal in order to access the container. Such a seal, which prior to the present invention has not been provided, should be structured to be permanently and noticeably damaged or tampered with if the container is accessed, and should be difficult to duplicate easily and effectively. Accordingly, even a cursory review by a shipping agent of the primary seal serial number will necessarily reveal that tampering has occurred.